Slovak defenceman is represented by same company that aided team in landing Roman, Repik, Bliznak and others

Knazko, who turns 17 in August, is represented by The Sports Corporation, the Edmonton-based sports agent company headed up by Gerry Johannson that has had several European clients suit up for Vancouver over the years.

That list includes Milos Roman, the Slovak centre who was part of Vancouver’s run to the WHL Final this past season.

Selections in the import draft are often tied to the likelihood of the player reporting. Teams frequently count on their rapport with particular agents to help make that happen.

Other Sports Corporation clients from Europe who have played for the Giants include Andrej Meszaros, Mario Bliznak, Michal Repik and Radovan Bondra. Former Giants such as Milan Lucic and Brendan Gallagher also have Johannson as an agent and longtime Vancouver general manager Scott Bonner also works for Johannson.

WHL clubs are only permitted two European players on their in-season roster and Vancouver already had a pair in Roman and Russian winger Sergei Alkhimov, who was acquired earlier this week from the Regina Pats in a trade for over-age forward Dawson Holt.

Since Roman turns 20 in November and is eligible to play next season in minor pro, the Giants were still eligible to use their first-round selection Thursday, which was the second-to-last in the 60-team opening round thanks to their playoff success.

Vancouver had to pass on their second-round choice.

Roman was a fourth-round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2018 NHL draft. He’s yet to sign a contract with them. If he returns to the Giants for this coming season, GM Barclay Parneta would have to make some sort of move. They won’t be permitted to keep all three Europeans long-term.

Giants fans will remember that from the 2016-17 season, when Vancouver used its import draft choice on Czech forward Filip Zadina, who was already getting some buzz then as a possible early selection for the 2018 NHL draft.

Zadina was set on playing pro in Europe that season, and the Giants contemplated keeping him on their roster all season and trying to recruit him for the following campaign, but they would have had to move out either Russian defenceman Dmitry Osipov or Bondra, a Slovak winger, by the two-week point of the regular season.

They felt they needed Osipov and Bondra to remain competitive and opted to release Zadina. He was picked by the Halifax Mooseheads in the 2017 import draft, which was where Vancouver landed Roman.

Zadina played for Halifax in 2017-18 and was the sixth overall choice by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2018 NHL draft.

Knazko is listed as a 5-11, 170-pound left-handed shot. He played this past season in Finland’s top junior league with TPS. He was the team’s youngest player, according to a roster at eliteprospects.com, and had two goals and 17 points in 49 regular-season games.

He was also an alternate captain with the Slovak entry in the Under-18 world championship in April in Sweden, and played for their team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Red Deer and Edmonton last August.

Roman has played two seasons for Vancouver. He had 27 goals and 60 points this past campaign in 59 regular-season games with the Giants and then produced four goals and 12 points in 22 playoff matchups.

Alkhimov, 18, had 13 goals and 27 points in 66 regular-season games with Regina as a WHL rookie last season.

Alkhimov takes the spot left vacant by 18-year-old winger Yannik Valenti, who opted to return to play in his native Germany instead of suiting up for a second season with the Giants. Valenti had four goals and nine points in 52 regular-season games and three goals in 22 playoff encounters this past season with Vancouver.

POKE CHECKS: The Giants announced their new regular-season schedule this week and they open on the road, taking on the Prince George Cougars Sept. 20 as part of a weekend doubleheader that launches their 2019-20 campaign. Vancouver’s home opener is Sept. 27, when the Portland Winterhawks visit Langley Events Centre.

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